Rohingya refugee crisis: With India constantly trying to guard its borders against huge influx of Rohingya refugees who are trickling in through the porous borders, Swaraj has a tough job at hand if the issue comes up in the General Assembly address. Swaraj will have to tread carefully.

On Pakistan: India has already indicated the tone it will take regarding Pakistan at the UNGA. On Thursday, the Indian statement made in its right of reply to the United Nations said: "In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. The quest for a land of pure has actually produced 'the land of pure terror'. Pakistan is now Terroristan." The statement was made by Eenam Gambir, India's First Secretary to the United Nations.

In 2016, Swaraj slammed Pakistan in a powerful speech, calling it a "terrorist haven" and stating that India, despite extending a hand of friendship, only received terrorism in the form of Pathankot, Uri and Bahadur Ali in return.

On Friday, Swaraj had only one bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during which she raised the issue of terrorism and H-1B. They also discussed strengthening of the US-India political and economic partnership.

The General Assembly debate would begin at 6.30 pm. Swaraj is listed 7th in the list of speakers. On an average, a speaker addresses the general assembly for 10 minutes, but most of the time leaders take more time than that.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to raise issues like the global fight against terrorism, climate change and the Security Council's reform in her address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday night.

Apart from addressing Pakistan, Swaraj also expressed India's commitment to combatting climate change. "Climate change is a significant danger. We are deeply committed to the Paris Agreement. Our decision to back is not because of external pressure but the outcome of a nearly 5000-year-old philosophy.

21:45 (IST)

Praises demoentisation, GST at UN General Assembly

Batting for the Narendra Modi government, Sushma Swaraj called demonetisation "a courageous decision" to fight black money. She also hailed the benefits of GST, and various other schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Skill India, Swachh Bharat, StartUp India, and Mudra Yojana.

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj called terrorism an "existential danger to humankind" and declared there was no justification to its barbarism. Swaraj further said that Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has conveniently forgotten facts. "The reality is Pakistan's politicians remember everything, manipulate memory into a convenience. They are masters at 'forgetting' facts that destroy their version," Swaraj said her rejoinder.

21:29 (IST)

Swaraj advises Pakistan to 'introspect'

Swaraj called terrorism an "evil" while condemning it and "piously resolve to fight it in all our declaratory statements." She also remarked while India is known as an IT superpower, Pakistan is recognised as a "pre-eminent export factory for terror".

"When brought to the notice of world powers earlier, many big powers dismissed it (terrorism in India) as a law and order issue," said the external affairs minister while addressing the UN General Assembly.

In a stinging retort to Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said the neighbouring country was a haven for terror outfits like JeM, LeT and the Haqqani network. "Doctors save people from death, while terrorists put them to death," said Swaraj while remarking how Pakistan produced only terrorists unlike India which creates scholars and doctors.

21:16 (IST)

India-Pakistan relations should be settled bilaterally

Sushma Swaraj slammed Pakistan in her remarks and said treaties like the Shimla Agreement were created to settle conflict between the two nations bilaterally.

21:12 (IST)

Pakistan spurned India's hand of friendship

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered the hand of peace and friendship to Pakistan. However, Pakistan prime minister Shahid Abbasi must answer why his nation spurned this offer, said Swaraj.

Sushma Swaraj addresses the issue of Pakistan. She said Pakistan's prime minister Shahid Abbasi wasted in speaking against India on Thursday. She added, "Those listening had only one observation: Look who's talking."

21:01 (IST)

Nuclear proliferation back in dangerous headlines: Sushma Swaraj

20:59 (IST)

World tortured by global hunger and poverty, says Sushma Swaraj at UN

20:58 (IST)

World trapped in terrorism, climate change, says Sushma Swaraj

"Our contemporary world is trapped in a deluge of troubles with terrorism. Climate change stares us in the face, as does the growing threat of maritime security," says Swaraj at the UN.

Peter Paire O’Neill, Papua New Guinea's prime minister is speaking at the moment.

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will address the General Assembly after two more speakers.

Read more here ">

19:59 (IST)

Excerpts from India's response to Pakistan at UNGA

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Exercising its right to reply after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly, India's First Secretary to the United Nations Eenam Gambhir on Thursday called Pakistan a "terroristan". Here are excerpts from her statement:

It is extraordinary that the state which protected Osama Bin Laden and sheltered Mullah Omar should have the gumption to play the victim. By now, all Pakistan's neighbours are painfully familiar with these tactics to create a narrative based on distortions, deception and deceit.

In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. The quest for a land of pure has actually produced "the land of pure terror". Pakistan is now "Terroristan', with a flourishing industry producing and exporting global terrorism. Its current state can be gauged from the fact that Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, a leader of the UN designated terrorist organization Lashkar-i-Taiba, is now sought to be legitimized as a leader of a political party.

In so far as India is concerned, Pakistan must understand that the State of Jammu and Kashmir is and will always remain an integral part of India.

North Korea: North Korea is perhaps the most pressing issue. According to this article in Firstpost, India's North Korea policy has undergone a marked shift recently, even to its own detriment. India has banned all trade with North Korea — except for food and medicine — even though it is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus.

Rohingya refugee crisis: With India constantly trying to guard its borders against huge influx of Rohingya refugees who are trickling in through the porous borders, Swaraj has a tough job at hand if the issue comes up in the General Assembly address. Swaraj will have to tread carefully.

On Pakistan: India has already indicated the tone it will take regarding Pakistan at the UNGA. On Thursday, the Indian statement made in its right of reply to the United Nations said: "In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. The quest for a land of pure has actually produced 'the land of pure terror'. Pakistan is now Terroristan." The statement was made by Eenam Gambir, India's First Secretary to the United Nations.

In 2016, Swaraj slammed Pakistan in a powerful speech, calling it a "terrorist haven" and stating that India, despite extending a hand of friendship, only received terrorism in the form of Pathankot, Uri and Bahadur Ali in return.

Swaraj on Monday had also met US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly session in New York.

"We had a great discussion on women's entrepreneurship, the upcoming GES 2017 and workforce development in the US and India," Ivanka said in a tweet after the meeting.

India and the US will co-host the GES in Hyderabad from November 28 to 30. The GES is the preeminent annual gathering of emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from around the world.

Ivanka, 35, took to twitter to express her respect for Swaraj, whom she described as the "charismatic" foreign minister.

PTI

19:21 (IST)

Sushma Swaraj is now slated to be the 8th speaker

At present, the Federated States of Micronesia's vice president Yosiwo George is addressing the UNGA. Swaraj will be speaking after Syria's deputy prime minister Walid Al_Moualem.

19:18 (IST)

Swaraj also met Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina

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Sushma Swaraj met the Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"The meeting with the prime minister of Bangladesh was more in the nature of a courtesy meeting. It was a very short meeting. The issue of Rohingya did not come up during the meeting for discussion," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters at a news conference in New York.

Kumar said that the discussion between Swaraj and Hasina was "purely bilateral".

Bangladesh, which is facing a big influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, has called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Myanmar to address the exodus.

PTI

19:12 (IST)

Swaraj has held 27 meeting with foreign counterparts so far

The external affairs minister has had as many as 27 bilateral meetings with her foreign counterparts.

Swaraj attended 12 multilaterals and two trilateral meetings.

PTI

19:06 (IST)

Sushma Swaraj to address UNGA at 8.15 pm

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that Swaraj will speak at the UN at 8.15 pm (IST) approximately.

Swaraj, who arrived in New York last on Sunday, spent a major part of her day on Friday giving final touches to her speech. Among other things, it is expected to include mention of the fight against terrorism, reform of the UN Security Council, climate change and an emerging India's role and responsibilities in the 21st century.

PTI

18:57 (IST)

Morning session of UN General Assembly is currently underway

At the moment, South Sudan's first vice president Taban Deng Gai is addressing the UN. Sushma Swaraj is slated as the seventh speaker of the day.

On Friday, Swaraj had only one bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during which she raised the issue of terrorism and H-1B. They also discussed strengthening of the US-India political and economic partnership.

The General Assembly debate would begin at 6.30 pm. Swaraj is listed 7th in the list of speakers. On an average, a speaker addresses the general assembly for 10 minutes, but most of the time leaders take more time than that.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to raise issues like the global fight against terrorism, climate change and the Security Council's reform in her address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday night.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to raise issues like the global fight against terrorism, climate change and the Security Council's reform in her address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday night.

When Swaraj, 65, takes the podium she would be addressing the UN General Assembly for the second consecutive time.

She is expected to deliver her speech in Hindi like the last year.

Swaraj, who arrived New York last Sunday, spent a major part of her day on Friday giving final touches to her speech. Among other things, it is expected to include mention of the fight against terrorism, reform of the UN Security Council, climate change and an emerging India's role and responsibilities in the 21st century.

On Friday, Swaraj had only one bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during which she raised the issue of terrorism and H-1B.

Sushma Swaraj at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday. AP

They also discussed strengthening of the US-India political and economic partnership.

In all, the external affairs minister has had as many as 27 bilateral meetings with her foreign counterparts.

Swaraj attended 12 multilaterals and two trilateral meetings.

"Our goals are broad. They are global in nature. Some of them are inspirational. There are some of them where we are working for several years and there are some where we hope to have an outcome this year," Syed Akbaruddin, India's Permanent Representative at the UN, told Indian reporters last week.

In addition to the reform of the United Nations, in particular that of the Security Council, Akbaruddin said that issues of climate change, terrorism, people-centric migration and peacekeeping are other key focus areas for India this year.

Indian officials remained tight-lipped on the content of Swaraj’s speech.

While India strongly responded to Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's rhetoric on Kashmir in the UN General Assembly, it would not be surprising that Swaraj asserts the government’s position on this issue one more time.

India on Friday ripped into Pakistan, describing it as "terroristan" and a land of "pure terror" that hosts a flourishing industry to produce and export global terrorism.

The General Assembly debate would begin at 6.30 pm. Swaraj is listed 7th in the list of speakers. On an average, a speaker addresses the general assembly for 10 minutes, but most of the time leaders take more time than that.